On March 27, 1993, employee-owners and direct shareholders of Central voted to approve the purchase of the company by Roadway Services, Inc. Central Freight Lines became a part of Roadway on April 11, and joined the Roadway Regional Group. Central was a stand-alone regional subsidiary in Roadway’s portfolio that also included other regional carriers such as Viking Freight System, Cole’s Express and Spartan Express.
Having expanded into Louisiana the year before, Central expanded into Colorado, Kansas and Missouri in 1994. Later that year, the company expanded into Illinois and Mississippi.
A Central Freight Lines terminal. (Photo: Stanley Houghton Collection)
On January 1, 1995, federal law deregulated intrastate common carrier trucking nationwide. Joe Hall became Central’s fifth president that year. On December 14, Roadway Services, Inc. became Caliber Systems, Inc. and on December 18, Caliber announced the consolidation of Central, Coles, Spartan and Viking Freight Systems into Viking Freight, Inc. This move created a nationwide freight carrier from multiple regional carriers. Central Freight Lines became the Southwestern Division of Viking Freight, Inc. in 1996.
On June 30th, 1997, an investment group led by a number of senior Central managers purchased selected assets of the former Central Freight Lines from Viking Freight. They reopened the company as a new Central Freight Lines.
AWW SHUCKS! That didn't work out very good did it?
almost spit my coffee out at that one